The Ghost Town of Vulture City

Vulture City is a ghost town near Wickenburg in Maricopa County, Arizona. The Vulture Mine was a robust gold mining area during its heyday. The Vulture mine was discovered by Henry Wickenburg in 1863. Vulture City sprang up around the gold mining area. The mine was active from around 1863 through 1942. It produced over 340,000 ounces of gold and a significant amount of silver. The gold mining operation produced over $7,000,000 in gold based on the prices of the time period. The amount would be significantly more at today’s prices.

The town was notorious like most mining towns in that time period. There were many tales of murder, chaos and stagecoach robberies. The superintendent of the gold mining operation was killed during a stagecoach robbery. The Vulture Mine was closed down in 1942 due to World War II. All citizen efforts were supposed to be focused on the war effort instead of gold mining activity. The mine reopened after the war but did not prosper. It closed for good a few years later.

After mining ceased in the area, Vulture City rapidly became a ghost town. However, it is home to a famous legend. It is referred to as the site of the Other Lost Dutchman or Oro Blanco mine. The legend surrounds a gold mining professional of German original who worked around Wickenburg in the 1870s. Supposedly, he mined at night and snuck around to make it impossible for others to find the source of his gold. One night, he left to mine and never came home. Most people assumed he was killed by the Apaches in the area, but human remains were found in 1895 near a small prospect hole. The human remains were found with sacks of gold.

Vulture City is a fun attraction for tourists who are interested in gold mining. There are a variety of buildings that still stand. Tourists can take guided tours of the mine and the remaining structures. Because of its notorious history as a gold mining town, there are legends of paranormal activity in the area. In 2010, The Vulture mine was the subject of a Ghost Adventures episode on the Travel Channel.